


Back to Genesis

by Taaya



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Diplomacy, Fix-It, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:54:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27633736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taaya/pseuds/Taaya
Summary: Already on his way to disobey orders to get to Genesis Kirk has an idea that might persuade Starfleet to give him what he wants.
Kudos: 1





	Back to Genesis

**Author's Note:**

> I'm currently reading the TSFS novelization where Morrow explains all the reasons why Kirk can't have the Enterprise back and how it is even more impossible to go to Genesis and it struck me that both men really aren't creative in playing by the rules. I had an idea how both could get what they want - and so I had to write this.
> 
> Unfortunately it would have needed a bigger divergence to change more of the story, so a lot is canon compliant.

„I’m sorry Jim, I can’t let you have the Enterprise.“ The words still rang in his head as Admiral James Tiberius Kirk, celebrated hero and now possibly fallen idol made his way out of Fleet Commander Morrow‘s office. He felt like he had failed. He did, didn’t he? He had failed both McCoy, slowly going mad with Spock’s katra. And he had failed Spock who’s torpedo turned coffin had been just found on Genesis a few days back.

Had he really given his appeal, his plea all he could have? In a way he understood Morrow. Too much of Genesis had become public knowledge by now, in such short a time. Klingons and Romulans were enraged and their delegates were giving both the Fleet and the Federation government a hard time. Going back there would be an affront towards both rivaling empires. Unless…

Jim turned on his heels and strove back to Morrow‘s office. Without knocking he entered again.

„Jim…“

„No, Harry, I think I might have an idea that would give me what I want without hurting your position or our current ceasefire with either Romulans or Klingons.“

His Fleet Commander sighed deeply, then gestured towards the chair on the other side of his desk.

„The Mutara sector is off limits“, Kirk began.

„It is.“

„And you can’t have the Grissom bring back Spock’s body, because they are needed to survey Genesis as soon as possible.“

„They can’t bring the coffin back in less than at least six weeks, I already told you so.“

Jim nodded. „But they could send one of their shuttles to the edge of the Mutara sector without losing time and without us entering the sector.“

„The Klingons and Romulans-“

„Will join us.“ Jim took a deep breath. He still couldn’t believe what he wanted to suggest. He didn’t exactly hate the Klingons. Or the Romulans. But he couldn’t say any of his encounters with either species had been pleasant. „We will cooperate with them. As long as they don’t harm the body, they can use any scan they want. They’ll see that we have nothing to hide in this, and yet they won’t come close enough to Genesis to reveal whichever secrets the Federation doesn’t wish to reveal.“

Morrow remained silent for more than a minute. Finally he sighed. „I can’t decide that, Jim. Even my job has its limits. But I will make the necessary calls.“

„Harry, it’s urgent, there is a life at stake.“

The glance Morrow threw him was enough to make him shut up. „You’ll have the decision in one hour. Dismissed.“

Jim stalked out of the room and down to the lobby where Chekov and Sulu were waiting for him. „How’s the word?“

He shrugged. We’ll know in an hour. But if the word is yes, we need to ready ourselves for some unusual guests.“

The word was yes. Of course it was. The Federation Council could not turn their back on a chance of winning both the Klingons‘ and Romulans‘ trust. Showing them that they had not that much to hide, that they were willing to open themselves to their enemies and put an end to the ever simmering conflict was too good an idea to ignore it.

What took the most time was finding McCoy and persuading Starfleet security to let him go on the one hand and having Mr Scott repair the damage he did to the Excelsior on the other. Then they could finally take off. Their destination the outer limits of the Mutara sector.

Only when they arrived, nobody was there to greet them. Not a shuttle transporting the casket - and no Grissom. No sign of them on the long range scanners.

„There was no word about orders of radio silence“, Kirk mused. „Why would they keep quiet?“ Something didn’t feel right here. 

Only based on his guts, trained by years of experience, he ordered: „Raise shields. Bring us in, Mr. Sulu, nice and slow. Chekov? Take the science station. I want to know what’s out there.“

He looked over to Uhura. In their plan B she would have stayed behind to scramble Starfleet‘s frequencies and help them escape. Thankfully it hadn’t come to that and they would not have needed to risk their careers. Until now. He had orders not to enter Mutara and a direct order not to approach Genesis under any circumstances. But maybe he still had an ace up his sleeve. „Please ask our guests to join us on the bridge.“

Only when the two Ambassadors entered the bridge did Kirk order Sulu to approach Genesis directly. This way both rivaling powers were there to witness that he had reason to disobey his orders - and as they were interested in gaining knowledge of the Genesis project they would be eager to agree to his decision. And they were. Until…

„Scanners detect debris, Admiral“, Chekov reported from the science station. „Too small to make out much. It is as if … somebody tried to erase all evidence.“

„Can you find a weapons signature?“, Kirk asked, but Chekov shook his head.

„Any signs of the aggressor?“

„If they are still here, they are cloaked.“ Chekov bit his tongue just a second too late. He looked over to the Ambassadors to see if he insulted them.

„Look out for energy surges, anything.“

A minute passed.

„There!“ Chekov yelled and projected the image he saw on the main screen. All one could see at first was space, black with stars and Genesis revolving around its sun. 

„The distortion“, Kirk agreed. „That shimmering area.“

„It’s getting larger as we close in“, Sulu said.

In that moment the other vessel must have beamed someone aboard, because for a split second they became visible before disappearing again. It would have been easy to miss - had not all of them been staring at the screen.

„That is one of us“, the Klingon Ambassador said with a tinge of disgust. „I swear no ship was ordered here. Let me speak to them!“

Kirk didn’t know if the Klingon spoke the truth. If not, he would never tell. Mutara was still Federation space and a Klingon ship being here would mean war, if it could not be dismissed as a ship of renegades. But the Admiral knew that if the Klingon was angry or disgusted by one thing, it was because his people did not succeed in being gone before anyone noticed they had been here.

_ I wonder why the Organians didn’t stop this _ , Kirk thought and ground his teeth.  _ They wanted us to keep the ceasefire. They promised to stop us from fighting. And they didn’t. … David was aboard Grissom. _ It took all his strength to stay calm, at least outwardly.

He nodded towards Uhura, so that she would open a channel for the Ambassador.

He bellowed some words Kirk couldn’t understand. It was his courtesy to have the translator disabled on board, so that each of the Ambassadors and their aides could speak in private. Now he was angry at himself. He would have killed to know what was being said.

The screen lit up and the Klingon captain stared at Kirk, before looking at the Ambassador. „My Lord…“

„Do not insult me by addressing me. You have dishonored your house, Kruge, and you nearly dishonored the Empire as well. Have you anything to bring up in your defense?!“

One could see Kruge shrink in fear of what was coming for him. „There are survivors. Three children. Two Vulcans and a human.“

Jim inhaled sharply. His mind froze. Two Vulcans? The Grissom had only one Vulcan crewmember, Saavik. Could it be…? And a human, a young one, with Saavik? Could he dare to hope?“

„Report to Qo‘noS for your punishment immediately“, the Klingon Ambassador ordered and the other ship followed its orders immediately, only stopping to beam up the rest of their landing party.

Kirk didn’t stop to listen to the Ambassador who tried to apologize in a rather non-apologizing way. Trying to uphold the ceasefire without losing his face. The Admiral had no time for that. And no time to grieve for the people lost on Grissom. Even more deaths that were his fault. If only he had checked upon Khan. If only he could have been here in time to stop the Genesis device. No, there was no time …

„Kirk to Saavik. Can you read me?“

„Dad?“ It was David‘s voice that replied and for a moment Kirk’s heart stopped. His son was alive!

„What is you situation?“

„That is a little hard to explain. But first get us off of here, please. The planet is about to be destroyed. Genesis was a failure.“

Kirk had left the bridge even before David had finished, hurrying down to the transporter room, where he’d meet the greatest surprise in his career - and given all he had experienced in ten years of captaining the Enterprise, this did mean something.

He felt awful for being so happy, Kirk realized as he looked up to Mount Seleya. Spock was alive, David was alive. So much had happened. Sulu had lost his new ship with the Excelsior being handed over to Stiles. And so many people had died. Scotty’s young nephew, Carol‘s crew, Esteban and the Grissom crewmen. All because of him and here he was and everyone he loved and cherished still lived - or lived again. And once again he was the celebrated hero, for deepening the trust between the Federation and the Klingons and Romulans. He did not deserve that and he knew it. But he could not even bring himself to be annoyed by the publicity or to be ashamed for all his luck. Not when he had hope that one day Spock would be the man he had known again. He pledged that he’d be here for his friend, to help Spock through his process. And maybe Kirk could even finally get to know his son, who had chosen to stay on Vulcan, too. He wondered if that had anything to do with Saavik…

Yes, he nodded to himself while looking up to Mount Seleya, where he could see the silhouette of Spock climbing up to a temple, right now, despite everything, he was the luckiest man in all of Federation space. Tomorrow he could worry about everything else. Today he allowed himself to feel at peace, just this once.

  
  
  
  



End file.
